It’s not uncommon for a team leader to also have assignments with clients. Christoffer, who is new to the role of team leader, shares his journey to the new position and what he does to make the most out of his two areas of responsibility.
Christoffer, tell us about your career journey at Avalon.
It has been fast. I had a job at another consulting firm for 11 months after school before I joined Avalon. Then it was straight into the heat of things. I landed a project with a startup, which typically offers great opportunities to take on a lot of responsibility. After about a year on the assignment, I was also given the opportunity to take on more responsibility here at Avalon in the role of team leader. It’s a huge vote of confidence from above, which feels really great. It’s flattering to be given the opportunity despite my short career time.
You are relatively new to the leadership role. Is it what you expected?
Yes, absolutely. I had good communication with my own team leader before I chose to apply, which gave me a solid understanding of what’s required in the role. Perhaps it’s because I’ve shown interest in leadership and received a lot of input about what’s expected. It has been my goal to move towards the team leader role, but maybe not this quickly. I was thinking of doing “Framtidens Ledare” (Avalon’s internal leadership program) first and then progressing from there. However, it feels completely right to have taken the step already. There’s so much support internally, so the areas I’m not fully comfortable with yet, I get great help with.
How does your role as team leader affect your collaboration with the client in your assignment?
It’s important to create a balance between my billable role as a consultant and my
internal role as a leader. By being transparent with the client about having dual roles, we ensure together that I’m not booked 100% on the assignment. It works well to spend one or two days a week at our Avalon office, and in between, I’m available if any questions come up from my team members. In Malmö, we are four leaders, so we work efficiently together as a team.
How do you balance the team leader role with being out on assignments with clients? Do you have any tips for making it work?
Any tricks? Not really. Maybe the key would be trying to divide your time as much as possible, meaning not switching too much between the consultant role and the team leader role on the same day. However, it’s important to still be relatively available.
What would you say to someone considering a similar role to yours?
Being a team leader means I get to follow my colleagues’ development, be part of building the team in the location, and ensure that our clients receive the help they really need through my colleagues’ knowledge and experience in various consulting roles. Being a leader in a consulting firm also means that you get to play a key role in developing the business and influencing the company’s future.
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